1000mods – Cheat Death

1000mods have over the years become an established underground Stoner Rock/Metal name in Europe, with especially their last couple of albums resonating with a somewhat broader audience, earning them spots at some major festivals. Their previous album, Youth of Dissent, saw them dig somewhat deeper into their commercial side drawing more parallels to Queens of the Stone Age and pushing the influences of Kyuss, Black Sabbath and MC5 a bit more into the back, while at the same time never abandoning them.

Some four years later the band is back with their fifth full-length release and judging from the artwork the band seems to be looking back at their very roots. A few songs in, however, it’s clear that while the band is most definitely looking back at their beginnings, Cheat Death is a whole different kind of beast.

The album does dig to the power and intensity of their earlier work, but at the same time they take advantage of how they’ve grown as songwriters. This means that songs are extremely well written, with sheer sense of flow and impeccable push-pull technique.

Together with producer Matt Bayes and master Brad Boatright the band has also created the best sounding record of their career. It’s massive and raw on one side, and clear sounding and superbly balanced on the other.

Musically, the band encapsulates their entire career and also moves forward, not so much by going in bold new directions, but rather broadening their spectre noticeably. Cheat Death might operate in familiar waters, but it’s also ambitious and there is an epic feel to it. There is also an eminent flow to the entire record and that even though the band constantly moves between the influences of Stoner Metal, Punk, Stadium Rock, and those unavoidable early Black Sabbath inspirations.

There is so much to sink your teeth into on the Greeks’ latest effort. The complex opener “Overthrown” is a very good indication of what this the band is about, while “The One Who Keeps Me Down” is a catchy, straight forward Punk Rock anthem. “Astral Odor” is dusty Stoner Rock at its best, and “Love” could be on an early ‘90s Brit Rock record. Elsewhere, “Speedhead” evokes memory of Motörhead and “Bluebird” is a gorgeous 3-minute long instrumental, which would serve perfectly on loop while driving through the Mojave Desert. The album is eminently rounded up by a +10-minutes long “Grey, Green Blues” which is something of a trip which seamlessly builds from all the way from moody psychedelics till the colossal nosey finale.

With Cheat Death, 1000mods have created the strongest release of their career on which that embrace their entire career and more importantly the album is a result of everything the band has learned in the course of their career.

www.1000mods.com